July 4, 2002

Accountability in Health Regions

There really is a difference between the BC Liberal Party, the Liberal caucus, the legislature and the government. Unfortunately, the Campbell government acts as if those distinct institutions are one and the same. Partisan material on the government website is one example of mixing political party and government. A far more serious example is found in the "Performance Agreement" for the Interior Health Authority.

The preamble for the Health Authority's contract includes a clause that reads: "The government has established directions in A New Era for British Columbia and the Ministry of Health Services Service Plan". It is unprecedented for a government to enter into a contract with anyone where the political platform of its party is mentioned in the contract. "A New Era for British Columbia" (NED) is not a government document. It is the platform from the 2001 election for the BC Liberal Party. Referring to it in a government contract is outrageous. However, now that they have done so, government has made its broken promises part of a contract for the delivery of health care. Promises like:

NED also said that BC doesn't have enough hospital beds. The Health Authorities are closing beds. It said BC needs more residential and long-term care beds. Assisted living is being funded by closing residential care beds. Is the Campbell government making the health authorities responsible for its broken election promises by including its political platform as part of a government contract?

The Interior Health Authority is the only health authority that has posted its "performance agreement" on its website. The contract, however, reads as if it were written to apply equally to each of the health authorities. The Interior Health Authority is also unique in being the first health authority to reject a bonus system for its managers.

CBC has reported that the Interior Health Authority is postponing performance bonuses for at least a year. According to the CBC report, the Authority's CEO, Murray Ramsden, "says the rules for the bonuses were ill defined and there are no guidelines for performance". Ramsden, however, will continue to be eligible for a 10% bonus if he keeps within budget as his contract is determined by the province.

There is something particularly disgusting that both the Ministers of Health and the health authority CEOs will get a pay bonus for meeting budget targets but they will suffer no consequences when the frail elderly die after being given eviction notices, or when children die after being turned away from emergency rooms. Victims may have to turn to the courts to achieve accountability where it really matters.